


Grateful

by Alexandria (heartfullofelves)



Category: Elite (TV)
Genre: (Former enemies to) Friends to Lovers, Community: femslashficlets, F/F, Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23493076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartfullofelves/pseuds/Alexandria
Summary: In New York, Lu and Nadia become inseparable.
Relationships: Lucrecia "Lu" Montesinos Hendrich/Nadia Shana
Comments: 9
Kudos: 61
Collections: femslashficlets: tarot prompt challenge





	Grateful

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: 21. The World - Success in anything worldly, but not for free.

It soon becomes clear that Lu needs a job in order to survive in New York. Since the scholarship is shared, only half of her accommodation fees are paid for, and she still has to eat and dress. She puts it off until Nadia sits her down in their tiny apartment and tells her to stop being a brat and start taking responsibility. She hates it, but Nadia’s right. 

Nadia gets a steady retail job straight away. Lu aims higher, applying for part-time office jobs and paid internships, but it seems her stellar academic record is useless with no work experience or leadership activities on her résumé. 

When Nadia gets back one afternoon, Lu swallows her pride. “Are there any jobs going at your store?” she asks while Nadia puts down a textbook and takes off her hijab. 

“I think they’re looking for another part-timer. I can put in a word for you if you want.” Nadia shoots Lu a pointed look. “That’s if you’re not afraid to do some actual work.” 

“Cariña,” Lu says with a fake smile, “I earned a scholarship to Columbia. _That_ is work. How hard can it be, putting clothes on racks and showing people where to go?” 

Nadia gazes at her feet to hide a smile – a smile that makes Lu’s heart do a funny little flip. “I’ll tell my manager you’re interested.” 

“Thank you,” says Lu, surprising them both. 

A few days later, Nadia tells Lu they want her to come in for an interview. She helps Lu prepare, even making her sit down for a practice interview. 

Confident as always, Lu aces the real thing and they ask her to start on Friday, the one weekday she doesn’t have lectures. She and Nadia go out and celebrate together. 

Because their class schedules and rostered hours are so different, Lu only has one shift with Nadia. It takes time for her to get used to working and Nadia has very particular ways of completing her work, so it’s fair to say they argue. Lu is capable, she just doesn’t understand why Nadia puts in so much effort for so little reward. It doesn’t make sense. 

After a month, they both adapt their habits and stop butting heads at work. Now their only arguments happen at home, when one of them stays up too late to finish assignments or the other leaves the hair straightener on in the morning. The switch from speaking Spanish at home to speaking only English at work is now natural. And they start introducing each other as their best friend. 

But Lu’s heart has never jumped when a friend walks in the room before. She’s never enjoyed it when her friends blush the way she enjoys the cute way Nadia blushes. And when she’s put her hand on friends’ shoulders in the past, her friends have never inhaled the way Nadia does. If Lu didn’t know better, she’d think she was developing a crush. But considering how much she used to hate Nadia for multiple reasons, both real and imagined, that would be ridiculous. It doesn’t matter that she grew to admire Nadia in their last year of school, or how well they get along now. She’s just confused because New York is a huge new chapter in their lives and they have more freedom now. 

The weeks pass in the blink of an eye. Before she knows it, the days are getting colder and Nadia is arranging to go home for Christmas break. When Lu asks why Nadia doesn’t want to spend Christmas in New York (“It’s iconic,” she argues) Nadia reminds her that she doesn’t celebrate Christmas but she does need to see her family. She tells Lu that she’d be welcome too. But Lu wants to try and save money for the first time. Being cut off from her family is harder than she’d anticipated, and even with a scholarship and a job, each week is a financial struggle. She doesn’t tell Nadia, knowing her advice would be to party less and stop buying coffee before every nine o’clock lecture. 

It’s their last shift together before classes finish and Nadia flies home to Spain, which Lu isn’t looking forward to. As she folds a misplaced shirt and puts it back on the display where it belongs, she realises that the reason she doesn’t want Nadia to go is because she’ll miss her like crazy. She’s talked to Nadia every day for almost half a year. Without her, things won’t feel right. 

Nadia calls her into the storeroom, which is a little strange, but Lu makes sure there aren’t any customers who need her and goes out back. She smiles when she sees Nadia standing there with her hands clasped together and a tenseness about her jaw. 

“Hey,” Lu says, in Spanish since they’re alone and Nadia looks nervous. “What’s going on?” 

Instead of answering, Nadia gazes at Lu the same way Guzmán and Valerio used to look at her and make her heart stop. 

“You-” 

But Nadia steps closer, places her hands on Lu’s shoulders, and presses their lips together. The unfamiliar softness of Nadia’s lips makes Lu’s stomach flutter. She melts into the kiss, circling Nadia’s waist and parting her lips. A gentle gasp slips out of Lu's mouth as Nadia chases her lips. She can smell ambrette – Nadia's perfume, she realises. 

“Come home with me for the break,” Nadia whispers, resting her forehead against Lu's. “My parents would love to have you, and they’ll help with the flights. You know we consider you part of the family.” 

“ _Mi casa_ _es_ _tu_ _casa?_ Really?” 

Two years ago, Lu would’ve had hysterics at the thought of Nadia’s family wanting to take her in, but so much has changed since then, including herself. And the truth is she doesn’t want to be alone for Christmas. So after more feigned reluctance, she accepts. 

“Thank you, Nadia,” she says, meeting Nadia’s gaze. 

They seal the agreement with another kiss.


End file.
